Try the new Windows 10 game mode

It will be rolled out to the masses with the Windows 10 Creators Update due later this year. However, braver souls can try the new Game Mode right now by installing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 15019.

Windows 10 is getting a major upgrade this Spring, when the Windows 10 Creators Update is released to hundreds of millions of computers around the world. This is going to be an evolutionary step for Windows 10, adding several new features, including several aimed at gamers.

How the Windows 10 Game Mode Works

One of these features is a new Game Mode, which Microsoft hopes will “make Windows 10 the best Windows ever for gaming”. In a nutshell, Windows 10’s new Game Mode optimizes your PC for gaming, giving priority to your gaming experience over everything else.

Windows 10 does this by reprioritizing your computer’s resources to help games look and play better. Your CPU and GPU will favor the game you’re currently playing over everything else, spending less resources dealing with background tasks that could otherwise inhibit your experience.

With Game Mode, Microsoft is hoping to improve the overall frame rate and the average frame rate. The former means games will potentially run faster and smoother than ever before, while the latter should help maintain consistency, avoiding dropped frames when another program kicks in.

Most people will be able to try Game Mode when Microsoft releases the Windows 10 Creators Update. However, Windows Insiders will have early access to it after installing Windows Insider Preview Build 15019. If that’s you then you can toggle the setting on or off in the new Games section in Settings, or by pressing “Windows+G” while playing a game.

Squeeze Peak Performance Out of Your PC

One of the biggest complaints leveled at PC gaming is the need to own powerful hardware in order to play the latest games. While Windows 10’s Game Mode doesn’t change that, it does at least mean your hardware will be running at its optimum level. Which should help you squeeze peak performance out of your PC while gaming.

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